Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-25
CAMERON ON MALONE
wRArHE rHTNKsoF THE REPUBLICAN
COMMITTEES ADDRESS.
It's Failure to suggest a Plan for the Deb:
Settlement the viii OF the People Sub
servitni TO the Will Of an Autocrat.


granted an interview 10 the representa-
lives Of the press here to-day. and his
views were obtained in reference 10 the
address recently issued by the Rcpub-
hcan state Central Committee. Dis
cardiug al prcllminarics, the interview
lccan with the request that Gov
cuor Cam,rou should give TO the
public bis opinion of the Republican
address and lts possible and probable
eject upon the impending campaign in
tie state.
AMMUNITION OR ICCAL SPEAKERS
eel do not THINK" said Governor
Ccn1on, "auy importance attaches TO
ruL.ch does not belong - such dOcu-
mtnts generally. They are mostly in
tcudcd 10 furnish ammunition for the
local speakers of the political party 10
which they IRE addressed, aud this
seems 10 serve that end mcasumbly
well. particularly so IN the arrangement
made when comparing the results Of
Democratic administration of the state
government with the Republican ad-
miuisiration which preceded IT,
WHAT VAHo.E's ADDRESS FAILED ~.
The address Il, chiefly remarkable for
the absence 81 matter which some Re
mlicaus. at least, had hoped il might
contain notably, IN regard to the pub
lie debt. 4 mcrc promise that the Re
r,hiican party. if called again to
rover viii proceed promptly to such
measures as viii effect a final DISPOSE
ton of the problem without any
formulation or even Indication OF the
methods 10y which 50 desirable an end
D. a. hc reached with no suggestion OF
y.av, aud means for the removal OF the
stern difficulties which now besat the
scheme ~ funding contained in the act
e. 1-.2. seems To- me too vague 10 at
iucf any large amount Of public faith,
az 4. cnin any recruits from the Demo-
erals with their pledge OF passive al
llcucc To-
gHE EDDLEBERGCR BILL.
Il is very truc that to the Republi-
can party and tire laws passed by 1t In
lN.l and 1883 are Tue, in my Judgment,
tie credit for having relieved Virginia
from bankruptcy then present, and
for having given TO the Treasury six
years of comparative immunity from
INVASION 10y the coupon, thus making
possible all that has been done since by
sny ceislatWe or any Governor in
furthtrauce Of education, IN care OF the
mnaiics. IN execution Of the laws, IN
provision for manned Confederate
soldiers, or in the creation Of "a sink
ug fund The Republicans found an
clI'y treasury. heavy iloating debt,
a,. O. condition of things under which
,..i ga, absorbed. without resistance,
lurA ihc larger portion Of the public
revenues. Ihoyroduccd TAXATION they
~. oft the floating debt; they r.
-iu,d g. the public schools their
- cuon Of the revenues; they
..t.,1,d and improved the accom-
ruDtions for the insane; tdey
pave vitality and impulse to every
l.r,n Of Covcnmcnt, and ia two years
TUNED overto Democratic Legislature
a surplus in cash of more than
81. 100000. Al this was possible only as
81 consequence OF the Riddleberger
ILL.,
y But matters .Uch as these have not
much force III the public mind unless
the benefits are continuing. A halt
has been called; the wheels are cloggcd
AGAIN. 1t may or may not be the fault
or the misfortune of the Democrats
that the kiddlebercer bin has ceased to
90 the work. And with the people
that Is not the important question. The
question is--all previous legislation for
ihe exclusion Of the coupon having
been declared void by the supreme
Court Of the United States-what can
bee done that will gain the assent of the
court CT Of the creditors and who will
do 1t? As far as can he seen, neither
party has any plan, and any alluslon TO
the debt question IN this canvass must
lc based upon past experience and not
upon any hope which can be well
founded on the dee .aratiOn either from
Euanokc or from Petersburg.
WHERE MAucSE MISSED II
II either General Malone or Mr..
Barbour had any mode of betterlnB at
fairs I'm this respect, it may be taken for
Granted they vonll have proclaimed 1t.
surely the people cannot base any ar
dent expectation on the silence which
both observe on this subject, ana which
is about the only point on which they
seem to agree. 1t may and probably
willie said that General Malone had and
has plan, but fcarcltO promulglte it in
dread that the Democrats would make
haste 10 appropriate and make their
contest on 1t. Bat this cannot be 50,
because if the Democrats were to
change base after the Roanoke conven-
ton they would lose as much rs If
standing to their guns, and the Rcpub-
lican committee would have been en-
tIcly safe in announcing their scheme
oi debt settlement, having waited until
tie Democrats had announced their
platform. | must confess that the Re
Iullican failure 20 set forth some propo-
nt;on of machinery 10y which to arrive
as,ttlement on the basis of the Rid
d,chcrgcr bill is a disappointment. That
instrument Is now imperative, and the
Gelt must be who viii be most loyal TO
am nac;men. which has lost It's opera
I've POWER.
AUTOCRATIc POWER.
II had also been hoped 10y some Re
rublcans that the State Committee
would have found it fit their sense OF
duty and of policy to give the people
Of tl.c purity freerreign in the matter OF
convention, Of choosing the county ma
chincry, and Of selecting their local
candidates than has OF late been done.
There is nowhere, in my Judgment, III
tle confines Of the United States an
organization 30 autocrstic rs that which
rests in the Executive Committee OF the
Virginia Republican party. ltnot only
exercises q power absolute and unques-
Toned. without conference or consulta-
ton. but transmits that power to ITS
local subordinates. A free ballot and
fair count, which forms the corner
stone Of the Republican Platform,
knows no place III the conduct OF the
party affairs. The State chairman, as
affairs are and have been since 1873 adj
mjnistered, is himself the committee
and the party. The people are not al
lowed even the privilege OF organizing
themselves and electing the party OH
cials in their respective neighborhoods.
4 80.